A Cure for Nargles
by ChatterChick
Summary: The nargle infestation in Luna's dorm is acting up again, but the cure is surprisingly simple.


A Cure for Nargles

by ChatterChick

xXxXx

Michael Corner glanced up to find Luna Lovegood hovering over the table he was studying at. She was balancing an open textbook in one hand and had a roll of parchment and quill in the other.

"Do you mind if I sit here? All the other tables are full."

Michael gestured towards the seat across from him. A quick glance down the aisle told him the table with the rest of the fifth year Ravenclaws had a few empty seats. He wisely chose not to comment on it. Instead, he asked her how her OWL year was going.

If he wasn't paying attention, he wouldn't have caught her shoulders sag or her eyes go dull. Within seconds she seemed her usual, doll-like self and any indicators of stress had melted away. Seeing Luna of all people look tired and stressed did not sit well with Michael. It was such a normal emotion on a girl who was anything but.

"It's challenging of course, none of the professors are going easy on us. I think they believe if we're worried about school we'll be too occupied to worry about Voldemort."

It had taken the better part of fifth year for Mike to become comfortable with the ease that Harry Potter and the Gryffindors spoke you-know-who's name. Even now, it took considerable effort not to react. He fought against the protest that sprung to his lips.

"Professor McGonagall's been hinting at a test in transfiguration this week and my notebook has vanished. I was hoping it would turn up eventually, but I really do need to study."

"Is there another nargles infestation in the girls' dorms?" Michael joked.

Luna didn't seem too offended as she chided him. "I'm aware you don't believe nargles exist, Michael. You made your point quite clear last year in the DA."

The memory was enough to make him feel a bit guilty at how he treated her.

Luna had drawn up posters warning of a possible nargles infestation in the girls' dorms. A number of her things had gone missing since the start of the term and she believed they were stealing them. She had asked Anthony and Padma to warn the rest of the students since no one took her seriously and it might have a bit more weight coming from a prefect. After watching his friends carefully dance around the topic – neither really had the heart to tell Luna she was the victim of a couple of mean-spirited girls – Michael decided to put an end to the entire conversation.

It was a bad day when even Ronald Weasley thought you were a bit insensitive.

"You could borrow my notes from last year," he offered. "I'm sure she doesn't change the content too much. I managed to get an Outstanding on the OWL so they're pretty thorough."

Luna seemed a bit surprised as he led her back to their common room and into the sixth year boys' dormitory. Actually, the girl seemed utterly speechless at her housemate's act of kindness. She didn't say much as she allowed him to ramble, giving the finer points of what he remembered from his OWLs.

"The history OWL focused primarily on the witch burnings and warlock councils and less on the goblin wars. The ministry isn't as interested in whether we know about other magical beings as much as our own history. That probably doesn't surprise you – "

He held open the door and allowed her into the disaster he and his friends called their room. Stephen, Kevin and Terry were nowhere to be found, but Anthony was sitting on the windowsill with his owl.

"Er - Mike?" Anthony cast a glance at Luna. She gingerly sat on the edge of Michael's bed and glanced around the room. Her unblinking eyes finally settled back on him.

"Giving Luna a hand with OWLs," he shrugged his shoulders. "Have you seen where I put my old potions notes?"

"Your potions notes are shit, give her Terry's."

"All of our potions notes are shit. Snape couldn't be bothered to teach it properly." Michael smugly reminded him. There had been some rather late nights sent pouring over potions textbooks, but in the end, the three had managed to secure the required Outstanding to be placed in NEWT level potions. Of course, it was all moot anyway when Slughorn took the post and lower the required grade to an Exceeds Expectations.

He proceeded to duplicate copies of all his notebooks and dumped them into the arms of the bemused fifth year. She thanked him heartily before skipping out of the room. Probably off to look for wrackwhatsits or to study or something.

Anthony watched him the entire time. "That was unusually kind of you."

"Oh sod off."

"I'm sure finding a solution to the – er, _nargles_ in her dorm would prove better in the long run."

"Don't suppose you've ever heard of a cure for nargle infestation."

"I hear nargles don't like it when their victims have friends. Particularly popular, sixth years," Anthony gave a thin smile.

Michael rolled his eyes. Luna was friends with, arguably, the most popular guy in their school. Harry Potter and his gang of Gryffindors seemed to have taken Luna under their wing this year. That had come as a bit of a surprise as he thought they mostly tolerated her presence during the DA sessions.

Of course, having friends in other houses did little to help her situation within their own common room. Maybe if she just had someone in her corner, the rest would back off. He sighed, leaving the dormitories. It was high time someone did this.

Across the common room, a couple of the fifth year girls were giggling with their heads together. He was fairly certain their names were Ariel Warbeck and Chelsea Gibson. They were earning heated glares from a couple of stressed seventh years.

He stood in front of them, arms folded and trying to look the part of an annoyed NEWT student. "Whatever you're laughing at, do you mind keeping it down? Some of us have homework."

The pretty brunette, Ariel, giggled as she lowered the book she was reading. "Sorry, we were only taking a break."

"Give me that," Mike grabbed whatever reading material was so funny. The girls squirmed in front of him as he skimmed through it. It seemed to be an ordinary set of transfiguration notes, word for word the same notes he had taken just a year ago. In the margins, there were citations and clarifications for later studying.

It was some of the clarifications that tipped Michael off. There was loopy handwriting next to the section on Gamp's Law. _Notable exception to the rule on animal to human transfiguration is former Ministry for Magic, Grogan Stump, who spent his first year of life as a peacock. _

"These are quite the detailed notes, I'm sure you'll obtain top OWLs with work like this." Michael glanced over the page to look at the pair of fifth years. He didn't even need to be a legilimens to be able to see the guilty thoughts swirling through Ariel's eyes or the image of a girl with dirty blonde hair and too wide eyes.

"I had no idea you had such an imagination," Michael continued as he scanned through some of the drawing in between the pages. "Is that a Crumple-Horned Snorkack? Yes, I believe it says so in the caption. I'm sure _Luna_ would love to see your interpretation of one."

"You're not going to tell Professor Flitwick, are you?" Ariel pleaded. "We'll give them back."

"Tell Professor Flitwick? Oh no, I'm _much_ more creative than that. A simple gemino on your diary and the entire common room will be having a bit of a laugh at your secret crush on Harry Potter." His comment had been a bit of a gamble, but the result proved satisfying enough. Chelsea's face went very pale and Ariel started to glare at him.

"If I so much as see a notice that Luna's lost a hairpin, you'll both spend the rest of the year with a spotty face that reads BULLY. Am I making myself clear?"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me. I've been itching to try Granger's little trick."

Ariel mumbled something rude as she stood up to leave. Chelsea gathered the remainder of their books, quills and ink and the pair abandoned the common room for the safety of the girls' dormitories.

He didn't see either of the girls until he was in the library the next day. They had taken their usual table just down the aisle from him and were alternating between working, whispering and glaring at him.

Michael was okay with that. He was enough of a loudmouth to manage to annoy someone new each day. Today it was Ariel and Chelsea and the rest of their little group of friends. Tomorrow he'd probably earn Anthony's wrath when he realized Michael had volunteered him to take Mandy Brocklehurst to Slughorn's Christmas party.

Luna gracefully slipped into the chair across from him without as much as a how-are-you.

She seemed happy today. Her eyes were shining and much more lucid than their usual dreamy state. She sat there, unabashedly watching him, smiling all the while. It was a little unnerving. He looked around, not sure how to handle her right now.

He recognized the notebook on top of her textbook as the one he had taken from Ariel the night before.

"I take it the nargles were feeling generous?"

"Nargles are never generous, they're actually quite selfish." She sounded oddly solemn. It didn't last long as Luna's lips turned upwards in a bright smile. "Ariel, on the other hand, realized she had my notebook."

He was pleased that he didn't actually have to follow through on his threat. He wasn't entirely keen on jinxing a pair of fifth year girls, even if they deserved it.

"Thank you Michael," she added quietly. "Not many have would have helped me like that."

Not liking to be rendered speechless, Michael tried to downplay it. It wasn't anything more than he'd do for Anthony or Terry anyway and Luna should have _some_ friends to help her. He told her that he was glad she found his notes helpful.

"Oh, yes, they were very helpful." She blinked a few times and tilted her head. She looked a bit like an odd bird of prey when she did that. Or maybe some fanciful creature he had never heard of. "Although, I noticed your herbology notes were a bit incomplete. It's really nothing Professor Sprout would expect you to know, but I'm sure you'd appreciate knowledge for knowledge's sake and that the whinging butterfly bush _isn't_ extinct – "

Mike groaned.


End file.
